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Best   /bɛst/   Listen
adjective
Best  adj.  (superl. of Good)
1.
Having good qualities in the highest degree; most good, kind, desirable, suitable, etc.; most excellent; as, the best man; the best road; the best cloth; the best abilities. "When he is best, he is a little worse than a man." "Heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight."
2.
Most advanced; most correct or complete; as, the best scholar; the best view of a subject.
3.
Most; largest; as, the best part of a week.
Best man, the only or principal groomsman at a wedding ceremony.



Good  adj.  (compar. better; superl. best)  
1.
Possessing desirable qualities; adapted to answer the end designed; promoting success, welfare, or happiness; serviceable; useful; fit; excellent; admirable; commendable; not bad, corrupt, evil, noxious, offensive, or troublesome, etc. "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." "Good company, good wine, good welcome."
2.
Possessing moral excellence or virtue; virtuous; pious; religious; said of persons or actions. "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works."
3.
Kind; benevolent; humane; merciful; gracious; polite; propitious; friendly; well-disposed; often followed by to or toward, also formerly by unto. "The men were very good unto us."
4.
Serviceable; suited; adapted; suitable; of use; to be relied upon; followed especially by for. "All quality that is good for anything is founded originally in merit."
5.
Clever; skillful; dexterous; ready; handy; followed especially by at. "He... is a good workman; a very good tailor." "Those are generally good at flattering who are good for nothing else."
6.
Adequate; sufficient; competent; sound; not fallacious; valid; in a commercial sense, to be depended on for the discharge of obligations incurred; having pecuniary ability; of unimpaired credit. "My reasons are both good and weighty." "My meaning in saying he is a good man is... that he is sufficient... I think I may take his bond."
7.
Real; actual; serious; as in the phrases in good earnest; in good sooth. "Love no man in good earnest."
8.
Not small, insignificant, or of no account; considerable; esp., in the phrases a good deal, a good way, a good degree, a good share or part, etc.
9.
Not lacking or deficient; full; complete. "Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over."
10.
Not blemished or impeached; fair; honorable; unsullied; as in the phrases a good name, a good report, good repute, etc. "A good name is better than precious ointment".
As good as. See under As.
For good, or For good and all, completely and finally; fully; truly. "The good woman never died after this, till she came to die for good and all."
Good breeding, polite or polished manners, formed by education; a polite education. "Distinguished by good humor and good breeding."
Good cheap, literally, good bargain; reasonably cheap.
Good consideration (Law).
(a)
A consideration of blood or of natural love and affection.
(b)
A valuable consideration, or one which will sustain a contract.
Good fellow, a person of companionable qualities. (Familiar)
Good folk or Good people, fairies; brownies; pixies, etc. (Colloq. Eng. & Scot.)
Good for nothing.
(a)
Of no value; useless; worthless.
(b)
Used substantively, an idle, worthless person. "My father always said I was born to be a good for nothing."
Good Friday, the Friday of Holy Week, kept in some churches as a fast, in memoory of our Savior's passion or suffering; the anniversary of the crucifixion.
Good humor, or Good-humor, a cheerful or pleasant temper or state of mind.
Good humor man, a travelling vendor who sells Good Humor ice-cream (or some similar ice-cream) from a small refrigerated truck; he usually drives slowly through residential neighborhoods in summertime, loudly playing some distinctive recorded music to announce his presence. (U. S.)
Good nature, or Good-nature, habitual kindness or mildness of temper or disposition; amiability; state of being in good humor. "The good nature and generosity which belonged to his character." "The young count's good nature and easy persuadability were among his best characteristics."
Good people. See Good folk (above).
Good speed, good luck; good success; godspeed; an old form of wishing success. See Speed.
Good turn, an act of kidness; a favor.
Good will.
(a)
Benevolence; well wishing; kindly feeling.
(b)
(Law) The custom of any trade or business; the tendency or inclination of persons, old customers and others, to resort to an established place of business; the advantage accruing from tendency or inclination. "The good will of a trade is nothing more than the probability that the old customers will resort to the old place."
In good time.
(a)
Promptly; punctually; opportunely; not too soon nor too late.
(b)
(Mus.) Correctly; in proper time.
To hold good, to remain true or valid; to be operative; to remain in force or effect; as, his promise holds good; the condition still holds good.
To make good, to fulfill; to establish; to maintain; to supply (a defect or deficiency); to indemmify; to prove or verify (an accusation); to prove to be blameless; to clear; to vindicate. "Each word made good and true." "Of no power to make his wishes good." "I... would by combat make her good." "Convenient numbers to make good the city."
To think good, to approve; to be pleased or satisfied with; to consider expedient or proper. "If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear." Note: Good, in the sense of wishing well, is much used in greeting and leave-taking; as, good day, good night, good evening, good morning, etc.



adverb
Best  adv., adj. superl.  (superl. of Well)
1.
In the highest degree; beyond all others. "Thou serpent! That name best befits thee." "He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small."
2.
To the most advantage; with the most success, case, profit, benefit, or propriety. "Had we best retire? I see a storm." "Had I not best go to her?"
3.
Most intimately; most thoroughly or correctly; as, what is expedient is best known to himself.



verb
Best  v. t.  To get the better of. (Colloq.)



noun
Best  n.  Utmost; highest endeavor or state; most nearly perfect thing, or being, or action; as, to do one's best; to the best of our ability.
At best, in the utmost degree or extent applicable to the case; under the most favorable circumstances; as, life is at best very short.
For best, finally. (Obs.) "Those constitutions... are now established for best, and not to be mended."
To get the best of, to gain an advantage over, whether fairly or unfairly.
To make the best of.
(a)
To improve to the utmost; to use or dispose of to the greatest advantage. "Let there be freedom to carry their commodities where they can make the best of them."
(b)
To reduce to the least possible inconvenience; as, to make the best of ill fortune or a bad bargain.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Best" Quotes from Famous Books



... view of Nature, but far more reasonable from science and philosophy only to take a theistic view. Voltaire's saying here holds true: that if there were no God known, it would be necessary to invent one. It is the best, if not the only, hypothesis for the explanation of the facts. Whether the philosophy of Herbert Spencer (which is not to our liking) is here fairly presented, we have little occasion and no time to consider. ...
— Darwiniana - Essays and Reviews Pertaining to Darwinism • Asa Gray

... had a long beard hanging over his breast, and eyebrows that almost covered his eyes. He bade Rinaldo good day. Rinaldo thanked him, and said, "A good day I have hardly had since I was born." Then said the old man, "Signor Rinaldo, you must not despair, for God will make all things turn to the best." Rinaldo answered, "My trouble is too heavy for me to hope relief. The king has taken my brothers, and means to put them to death. I thought to rescue them by means of my horse Bayard, but while I slept some thief has stolen him." ...
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... lack of true discernment he fails! This middle path is not, however, hidden from the sincere and pure; even common men and women may know it, though in its highest reaches it baffles the wisest. The greatest and the wisest and the best find lodged within them unrealised ideals. Whoever strenuously aims at realising these ideals, though he fails, is near ...
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... best manner the chauffeur announced, "Miss Ward's compliments, Sir and Miss, an' she has ordered me to place her automobile at yer disposal if ye would be so minded as to go for a bit of a ...
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... whole time of her stay at La Grenadiere she went but twice into Tours; once to call on the headmaster of the school, to ask him to give her the names of the best masters of Latin, drawing, and mathematics; and a second time to make arrangements for the children's lessons. But her appearance on the bridge of an evening, once or twice a week, was quite enough to excite the interest of almost all the inhabitants ...
— La Grenadiere • Honore de Balzac


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